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MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are believed to have fundamental roles in tumorigenesis and have great potential for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. However, the roles of miRNAs in hepatocellular carcinogenesis are still not fully elucidated. We investigated the aberrantly expressed miRNAs involved in hepatoma by comparison of miRNA expression profiles in cancerous hepatocytes with normal primary human hepatocytes, and 37 dysregulated miRNAs were screened out by twofold change with a significant difference ( P <0.05). Clustering analysis based on 13 miRNAs with changes over 15-folds showed that the miRNA expression patterns between the cancerous and normal hepatocytes were clearly different. Among the 13 miRNAs, we found that miR-375 was significantly downregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues and cell lines. Overexpression of miR-375 in liver cancer cells decreased cell proliferation, clonogenicity, migration/invasion and also induced G1 arrest and apoptosis. To unveil the molecular mechanism of miR-375-mediated phenotype in hepatoma cells described above, we examined the putative targets using bioinformatics tools and found that astrocyte elevated gene-1 (AEG-1) was a potential target of miR-375. Then we demonstrated that miR-375 bound directly to the 3′-untranslated region of AEG-1 and inhibited the expression of AEG-1. TaqMan quantitative reverse transcriptase–PCR and western blot analysis showed that miR-375 expression was inversely correlated with AEG-1 expression in HCC tissues. Knockdown of AEG-1 by RNAi in HCC cells, similar to miR-375 overexpression, suppressed tumor properties. Ectopic expression of AEG-1, conversely, could partially reverse the antitumor effects of miR-375. In a mouse model, therapeutic administration of cholesterol-conjugated 2′- O -methyl-modified miR-375 mimics (Chol-miR-375) could significantly suppress the growth of hepatoma xenografts in nude mice. In conclusion, our findings indicate that miR-375 targets AEG-1 in HCC and suppresses liver cancer cell growth in vitro and in vivo , and highlight the therapeutic potential of miR-375 in HCC treatment.

The finite momentum superconducting paring states (FMPs) represent a forefront of condensed matter physics. Here we report experimental evidence of FMP in a locally noncentrosymmetric bulk superconductor 4 H b -TaS 2 . Using hard X-ray diffraction and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we reveal unusual 2D ferro-rotational charge density wave (CDW) and weak interlayer hopping in 4 H b -TaS 2 . The superconducting upper critical field, H c2 , linearly increases via decreasing temperature, and well exceeds the Pauli limit, suggesting the dominant orbital pair-breaking mechanism. Remarkably, we observed evidence of field-induced superconductivity-to-superconductivity transition that breaks continuous rotational symmetry of the s-wave uniform pairing in the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer theory down to the six-fold rotation symmetry. Ginzburg-Landau free energy analysis shows that magnetoelectric coupling, induced by 2D ferro-rotational CDW, stabilizes FMP that provides an explanation of the lowering rotation symmetry. Our results provide a new understanding of unconventional superconducting behaviors of the bulk quantum heterostructure 4 H b -TaS 2 . Finite momentum superconducting pairing refers to a class of unconventional superconducting states where Cooper pairs acquire a non-zero momentum. Here the authors report a new superconducting state in bulk 4Hb-TaS₂, where magnetic fields induce finite momentum pairing via magnetoelectric coupling.

Segregations of carbonates in association with chlorapatite were discovered in garnet peridotites of the Marun-Keu eclogite–gneiss complex (Polar Urals) for the first time. They contain relics of dolomite, which is replaced by calcite with symplectite (graphic) ingrowths of brucite and bicarbonate. The formation of peridotites with unusual carbonate structures is the result of the evolution of the rocks from this complex at different depths. During deep subduction and progressive metamorphism followed by the formation of garnet peridotites, segregated dolomite underwent solid-phase breakdown into aragonite and magnesite at the pressure peak (≥5 GPa). During exhumation and retrograde metamorphism, garnet peridotites, together with segregations, experienced further transformation; aragonite was replaced by calcite, and magnesite, by brucite and bicarbonate. The presence of carbonates with deep-seated structures confirms that the garnet peridotites and eclogites of the Polar Urals belong to ultrahigh-pressure complexes.

Agricultural intensification has contributed greatly to the sustained food supply of China's population of 1.3 billion over the 30-year period from 1982 to 2011. Intensification has several and widely recognized negative environmental impacts including depletion of water resources, pollution of water bodies, greenhouse gas emissions and soil acidification. However, there have been few studies over this period on the impacts of intensification on soil organic carbon (SOC) at the regional level. The present study was conducted in Huantai County, a typical intensive farming region in northern China, to analyze the temporal dynamics of SOC influenced by climate and farming practices. The results indicate that from 1982 to 2011, SOC content and density in the 0–20 cm layer of the cropland increased from 7.8 ± 1.6 to 11.0 ± 2.3 g kg−1 (41%) and from 21.4 ± 4.3 to 33.0 ± 7.0 Mg ha−1 (54%), respectively. The SOC stock (0–20 cm) of the farmland for the entire county increased from 0.75 to 1.2 Tg (59%). Correlation analysis revealed that incorporation of crop residues significantly increased SOC, while an increase in the mean annual temperature decreased the SOC level. Therefore, agricultural intensification has increased crop productivity and contributed to SOC sequestration in northern China. In the near future, more appropriate technologies and practices must be developed and implemented for a maintenance or enhancement of SOC in this region and elsewhere in northern China, which also reduce non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions, since the climate benefit from the additional SOC storage is estimated to be smaller than the negative climate impacts of N2O from N fertilizer additions.

Due to the strong reactivity of alkaline metals and the easy formation of the impurity phase, the superconducting transition temperature (Tc) of alkaline metals intercalated FeSe is usually limited to 45 K. To avoid the formation of impurity and improve the Tc, we intercalate a more chemically inert organic ion (rather than the chemically reactive alkaline metals) into FeSe single crystal in this report. A new FeSe-based superconductor, namely (TBA)0.3FeSe, with Tc of 50 K, is synthesized by intercalating FeSe single crystal with organic ion tetrabutyl ammonium (TBA+) via an electrochemical intercalation method, which has the highest Tc among FeSe-based bulk superconductors. The structure of the organic ion intercalated product consists of the alternate stacking of monolayer FeSe and the organic molecule. The superconductivity of (TBA)0.3FeSe is confirmed by both the magnetic susceptibility and the transport measurement. It is suggested that the chemically inert organic ion should play a key role in the enhancement of Tc by avoiding the formation of impurity and disorder in FeSe plane as possible. We also suggest that the TBA+ intercalated FeSe with well defined shape and higher Tc offer a good playground for further bulk measurement investigation.

In X‐ray diffraction measurements, the angular resolution has a detection limit due to the receiving size of the detector. In many cases this detection limit is too large and must be breached to obtain the desired information. A novel method is proposed here by making the detector simultaneously measuring and moving. Using the deconvolution algorithm to remove the convolution effect, the pixel size limitation is finally broken. The algorithm used is not a common one, and suppresses signals at high frequencies, ensuring the reliability of the peak shape after restoration. The feasibility of this method is verified by successfully measuring the crystal truncation rod signal of SrTiO3 single crystal, and the resolution is nearly ten times higher than that of a single pixel. Moreover, this method greatly reduces the noise and improves the signal‐to‐noise ratio. A method to acquire X‐ray scattered signals at high frequency while the detector is moving is proposed. The algorithm provided can break through the pixel size limitation, and the resolution is improved by almost ten times compared with that of a single pixel.

Understanding how flowering phenology responds to warming and cooling (i.e., symmetric or asymmetric response) is needed to predict the response of flowering phenology to future climate change that will happen with the occurrence of warm and cold years superimposed upon a long-term trend. A three-year reciprocal translocation experiment was performed along an elevation gradient from 3200 m to 3800 m in the Tibetan Plateau for six alpine plants. Transplanting to lower elevation (warming) advanced the first flowering date (FFD) and transplanting to higher elevation (cooling) had the opposite effect. The FFD of early spring flowering plants (ESF) was four times less sensitive to warming than to cooling (by −2.1 d/°C and 8.4 d/°C, respectively), while midsummer flowering plants (MSF) were about twice as sensitive to warming than to cooling (−8.0 d/°C and 4.9 d/°C, respectively). Compared with pooled warming and cooling data, warming alone significantly underpredicted 3.1 d/°C for ESF and overestimated 1.7 d/°C for MSF. These results suggest that future empirical and experimental studies should consider nonlinear temperature responses that can cause such warming-cooling asymmetries as well as differing life strategies (ESF vs. MSF) among plant species.

Background Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) is a precancerous lesion characterized by fibrous tissue deposition, the incidence of which correlates positively with the frequency of betel nut chewing. Prolonged betel nut chewing can damage the integrity of the oral mucosal epithelium, leading to chronic inflammation and local immunological derangement. However, currently, the underlying cellular events driving fibrogenesis and dysfunction are incompletely understood, such that OSF has few treatment options with limited therapeutic effectiveness. Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) have been recognized for their anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrosis capabilities, making them promising candidates to treat a range of immune, inflammatory, and fibrotic diseases. However, the application of DPSCs in OSF is inconclusive. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the pathogenic mechanism of OSF and, based on this, to explore new treatment options. Methods A human cell atlas of oral mucosal tissues was compiled using single-cell RNA sequencing to delve into the underlying mechanisms. Epithelial cells were reclustered to observe the heterogeneity of OSF epithelial cells and their communication with immune cells. The results were validated in vitro , in clinicopathological sections, and in animal models. In vivo , the therapeutic effect and mechanism of DPSCs were characterized by histological staining, immunohistochemical staining, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. Results A unique epithelial cell population, Epi1.2, with proinflammatory and profibrotic functions, was predominantly found in OSF. Epi1.2 cells also induced the fibrotic process in fibroblasts by interacting with T cells through receptor-ligand crosstalk between macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF)-CD74 and C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4). Furthermore, we developed OSF animal models and simulated the clinical local injection process in the rat buccal mucosa using DPSCs to assess their therapeutic impact and mechanism. In the OSF rat model, DPSCs demonstrated superior therapeutic effects compared with the positive control (glucocorticoids), including reducing collagen deposition and promoting blood vessel regeneration. DPSCs mediated immune homeostasis primarily by regulating the numbers of KRT19  +  MIF  +  epithelial cells and via epithelial-stromal crosstalk. Conclusions Given the current ambiguity surrounding the cause of OSF and the limited treatment options available, our study reveals that epithelial cells and their crosstalk with T cells play an important role in the mechanism of OSF and suggests the therapeutic promise of DPSCs.

The controllable manipulation of materials properties has always attracted broad interests since there exists the possibility to identify the relationship between different electronic states, and even discover new states. Here we report the electrochemical intercalation of cetyltrimethylammonium (CTA+) into 2H-TaS2. The single layer TaS2 is intercalated with CTA+ cations and the direction of CTA+ is approximately perpendicular to the lamellar structure of TaS2. With this facile and efficient method, the superconducting transition temperature (Tc) of pristine TaS2 increases from 0.8 K to the maximum 3.7 K, showing a dome-like behavior. The Hall coefficient measurement indicates that the intercalated CTA+ cations introduce electrons to this system. The present results demonstrate that electrochemical intercalation method is effective in tuning the materials properties and may pave the way for exploring new superconductors.

The timing of the fruit-set stage (i.e., start and end of fruit set) is crucial in a plant's life cycle, but its response to temperature change is still unclear. We investigated the timing of seven phenological events, including fruit-set dates during 3 yr for six alpine plants transplanted to warmer (approximately +3.5 °C in soils) and cooler (approximately -3.5 °C in soils) locations along an altitudinal gradient in the Tibetan area. We found that fruit-set dates remained relatively stable under both warming and cooling during the 3-yr transplant experiment. Three earlier phenological events (emergence of first leaf, first bud set, and first flowering) and two later phenological events (first leaf coloring and complete leaf coloring) were earlier by 4.8-8.2 d/°C and later by 3.2-7.1 d/°C in response to warming. Conversely, cooling delayed the three earlier events by 3.8-6.9 d/°C and advanced the two later events by 3.2-8.1 d/°C for all plant species. The timing of the first and/or last fruit-set dates, however, did not change significantly compared to earlier and later phenological events. Statistical analyses also showed that the dates of fruit set were not significantly correlated or had lower correlations with changes of soil temperature relative to the earlier and later phenological events. Alpine plants may thus acclimate to changes in temperature for their fruiting function by maintaining relatively stable timings of fruit set compared with other phenological events to maximize the success of seed maturation and dispersal in response to short-term warming or cooling.